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Pokemon Go: All the Known Issues Here

Newly launched Pokemon mobile game is having some issues.

67 Comments

This post was updated July 11 with more issues.

Now that Pokemon Go is available to download, developer Niantic Labs has updated its website with a rundown of all of the game's major known issues.

One of the problems is the "You already own this item" error message on Android devices, while another bug makes your progress temporarily reset to level 1. Additionally, Niantic Labs warns that Pokemon Go can zap your battery when playing for a long time. "We are working on a solution," the developer said about the battery life issue.

No Caption Provided

Other problems include distorted audio and drifting or jittery GPS location service. "Please ensure location/GPS enabled and set to high-accuracy mode," Niantic said about this. "We're constantly working to improve GPS accuracy and stability. In general, GPS accuracy largely depends on the device you're using and your signal/connection strength."

Additionally, Pokemon Go has been experiencing some server issues. Its servers were unavailable for some users at periods last week, preventing them from playing. Niantic Labs has since acknowledged these problems and "paused" the game's international rollout as a result.

Scroll down to see all of the Pokemon Go known issues, as well as some workarounds where available. All of the text is written by Niantic Labs (via Kotaku).

The AR game is free with microtransactions, though if you want limited access to the game without unlocking your phone, you can buy a $35 optional accessory when it becomes available in the time ahead. The accessory vibrates when a Pokemon is nearby, at which point you'll have to press a button to catch the creature.

For more on Pokemon Go--which challenges players to find, catch, and collect Pokemon in the real world--check out GameSpot's article on essential facts you'll need to know. It covers where to find Pokemon, how to hatch eggs and evolve, and the in-game Pokemon Gyms.

Pokemon Go Known Issues (as of July 11):

PokeCoins and premium items do not appear in my account

Please try the following steps if you're having trouble seeing PokeCoins or premium items in your account:

  • Sign out and sign back into Pokemon Go. Open Pokemon Go, touch Main Menu > Settings and then select "Sign out."
  • If that does not resolve the issue, try powering off your device and restarting.

Receive "You already own this item" error message (Android only)

If your device loses internet connectivity while purchasing PokeCoins from the shop, you may receive the "You already own this item" error message. Please power off and restart your device to resolve this issue.

Trainer progress temporarily resets to Level 1

You may have inadvertently created two Pokemon GO accounts: one account using Google and one using Pokemon Trainer Club. If you create an account with one login method and later attempt to use the other login method, a second account is created. To resolve this issue, log out of your account via the Settings menu and then log back in with your original login method.

Distorted audio

In some situations, music and sound effects within Pokemon Go app may become distorted or delayed. This issue often occurs while connected to Bluetooth audio. We are aware of the issue and we are actively working on a solution.

Heavy battery use

Some devices may experience battery drain while playing Pokemon Go for prolonged periods of time. We are working on a solution.

My location is incorrect, unavailable, or jitters/drifts

We're constantly working to improve GPS accuracy and stability. In general, GPS accuracy largely depends on the device you're using and your signal/connection strength. To improve your device's location, please review the following settings:

  • Pokémon GO has location permissions enabled
  • Internet connectivity is enabled (3G, 4G, Wi-Fi)
  • Device location/GPS is enabled
  • Location/GPS set to high-accuracy mode

Receive "This item is not available in your country" error when trying to download the app

Please check your Google Wallet settings to ensure your address is based in the proper country. If this doesn't work, you could also try reaching out to the Google Play support team via their Help Center.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

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joanne26

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I'm having trouble when Im trying to capture a higher level Pokemon and it escapes the first catch, I try to get another razz berry and the Pokemon runsaway. I still go into the bag where you would normally choose a berry but the game freezes. I have to close the window and restart the game every time

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JaJoCa

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Edited By JaJoCa

Is anyone else having an issue with the Pokedex? When I tap on a captured Pokemon (Samsung Galaxy S7), the screen scrolls and stops on Bulbasaur and I cannot scroll to the other Pokemon.

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Haanabi89

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Edited By Haanabi89

The game itself is an issue at the moment. It just freezes so often its ridiculous. Im playing it and Ive made some great finds but I cant remember a single freeze/error free session. Im constantly having to close and reopen the game often while Im catching a pokemon which is so annoying. They need to fix the game itself as it stands the novelty of catching pokemon is keeping it alive but if these issues arent fixed quickly me and alot of other players will eventually decide its not worth the headache :p

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BattleStreak

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Issue #1: It's a shitty microtransaction riddled, mobile game, that features walking as it's main gameplay mechanic! That's right! Walking! Something you've already been doing for the last 10-80 years!

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Gomtor

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I suppose this game is liked by people who also like to watch teletubbies.

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yogibbear

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Edited By yogibbear

@Gomtor: I'm 29 and just tried the game today while going for a 10km jog, me and a few friends are headed to a local park in a couple of days to hang out and hunt pokemon! :D

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cornbredx

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Edited By cornbredx

@yogibbear: I should warn you, I've been to a few parks in my area and I think the game is broken when it comes to parks. You will find zero Pokemon at a park. They're everywhere around shopping centers and Walmarts, though. You can find them at a steady pace just about anywhere... except parks for some reason.

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Sohereiam

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Edited By Sohereiam

@Gomtor: To tell the truth most people playing this game are adults, when I say adults I mean close to 30 and above, most children's playing cellphone games will never play a game that made you search the environment for pokemon.

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cornbredx

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@Sohereiam: Ya in my area there are tons of adults playing- including me. I went out yesterday to a park- because you'd think you could find Pokemon at a park (you cant) and there were tons of adults driving around and stopping at the Pokestops around my area. Like at the park, for example, there were constantly people driving into the park just to stop by the Pokestop. It's really obvious when someone is playing. It's kind of funny.

I kinda like it at the moment. It gives me something interesting to do on my morning jogs. I have little nit picks that might make me stop playing, but I wanted to check it out because it seemed like a neat idea. I've never even been into Pokemon either.

I have no idea how it's received by kids. I've not noticed kids playing it. I think that would be even more obvious than all the adults that I see playing it (I'm sure there are kids playing it- I've just mainly seen adults).

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Sohereiam

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@cornbredx: I don't think kids play this game at all.

You're a long time gamer like me, when you were a kid, would you play a video game that would made you go out of your house search ever corner of the neighborhood and the city?

I wouldn't, I liked games were I could remain at home, sometimes play with friends.

Also, would your parents allow you to play these kind of games, specially nowadays were a predator(pe-do-bears) would be at any corner, even playing this game.

So, this is why I don't think kids play this game.

Besides, this game is the living dream of every Pokemon fan, those that grew up playing, watching the anime and/or reading the manga, children's today have not enough love to try, maybe in a decade or two if yo-kai Watch goes the same way, the kids of today will be the us of tomorrow.

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AndreasRufus

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Biggest issue: not for Windows Phone. I do think WP is way underrated for some developers...

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regulas

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@AndreasRufus: Do they still make that? How about a Zune too.

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Otterbee

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@AndreasRufus: No, I think the biggest issue is that you can't even play it on Nintendo's most popular current handheld, the Nintendo 3DS. Why would they NOT have this on their own frickin' hardware?? That's just baffling to me. (Does the 3DS not have a GPS in it? That would be another good reason...however, not making this game for their own platform seems like a tremendous oversight)

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Super_C

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@otterbee: 3DS does not include GPS.

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megakick

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@AndreasRufus: Windows Phones is better than Android but MS was too late to the party and didn't spend the money to buy the developers.

No audience,

No develop Apps.

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Litchie

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Pokémon Go made me realize my phone doens't have a gyroscope. Which is weird. Stupid Huawei. I can play the game fine, but not catch Pokémon with the real background.

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atherworld

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Edited By atherworld

Skipped Server drops cost you caught Pokemon, and the ball & incense wasted on them. Throw in GPS loss (I have no high accuracy option), battery drain, and an unlock phone, and now you know why I'm quitting after just starting. No way I'm spending money on a limited game that loses items, Pokemon, GPS, battery life, levels, etc. That's just free money to them for nothing in return. Shame too. it was looking to be quite fun.

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Ragnarocking

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Edited By Ragnarocking

Also, phones with Intel CPU can't run this game.

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Killerious

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Edited By Killerious

I know one thing for sure, Nintendo knows how to make fun games. PS4, more shooters, more RPGs, so boring ,all the same, I actually think of skipping BF!, I think I had enough of the lack of innovasion. My next console is a Nintendo one.

Actually this game can really help Nintendo sell more of its future console. It becomes the "Apple" of gaming.

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glenwatson54

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Edited By glenwatson54

@killerious: Nintendo really had nothing to do with the game besides owning The Pokemon Co., it was a licensed game by Niantic Labs from The Pokemon Co. Nintendo itself doesn't even consider it one of their games.

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Sohereiam

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@glenwatson54: Because its not their game, Nintendo only owns a third of The Pokemon Company and pokemon is developed by Game Freaks, Pokemon is, and will always be, a second party game.

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Otterbee

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Edited By Otterbee

@glenwatson54: As evidenced by their lack of support on their own mobile platform, the Nintendo 3DS.

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Killerious

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Edited By Killerious

So happy I don't play the game, but this is a good game to understand what the market want and develop game similar to that.

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cheater87

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The issue I have is it keeps saying screen overlay enabled, I try to disable it and it doesn't work along with my GPS not being found, I am using a Samsung Galaxy Note 5, what should I do to fix this?

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Daveof89

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You forgot to mention all the mindless idiots walking around staring at their phones trying to catch virtual 'animals'...

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trugs26

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Edited By trugs26

@Daveof89: You could say something very similar about gaming in general. In fact, you sound just like a lot of old people who are against technology.

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Daveof89

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@trugs26: I love technology, but when people are so focused on their technology that they endanger themselves and/or other people, there's a huge problem. The sad part is, it's only a matter of time before someone will get killed as a result of this game, and EVERYONE knows it...

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ferna1234

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@trugs26: juvenoia is the term for that. There is a quite fun letter somene wrote in the mid 1700's who was really upset, because all the kids in his house were all idiotized reading their extravagant silly magazines instad of chatting with eachother.

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cornbredx

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@Daveof89: My favorite part is all the "idiots" who are too cool for Pokemon so they have to let everyone know constantly how dumb they think they are.

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Daveof89

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@cornbredx: I happen to love most of the previous games.. In fact, I still have my original copy of yellow. I just think GO is a terrible, terrible excuse for a game, with people glued to their phones and ignoring the world around them even while exploring the world around them. The safety issues alone are atrocious.

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sonic_spark

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The server issues I think were a surprise to everyone. Pokemon Go is going to surpass Twitter in daily users... it's already passed Tinder (lol).

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LexLas

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Looks cool, but all the issues, too bad.

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DVONvX

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Deleted the game. After going to a gym and battling I got the glitch where you couldn't kill the gym's pokemon and the game just froze. After catching about my 50th pidgey I realized maybe I was trying to convince myself I was having fun. All that and the battery drain just did it for me.

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snugglebear

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On major issue: stop trying to walk into my house. I'm not a F&^cking Snorlax.

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chad28_69

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Can't you use Niantic's info instead of Kotaku's? I don't get it.

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pochodemarco

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the ammount of stolen cellphone in the world are going through the roof

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sladakrobot

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Edited By sladakrobot

20 articles about Pokemon Go...hmmm

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PrincessLeia123

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Okay, so I got Pokemon go a few minutes ago on my iPad Air.

The thing is, it says 'no gps signal' all the time. I can't move or walk anywhere. How can I play the game? Please help! I'm on iOS 9 and I have allowed location use, I can't make it work though!!!!

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basskill2000

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##@princessleia123: my assumption is 1 of 2 things.

1) you have a wifi only ipad that relies on internet for GPS tracking and therefore will not work once off WIFI signals

2) you have a cellular enabled device and may have inadvertently turned off location settings after opening the game. Go to settings and go to your location settings and make sure the game is enabled. then close the game and relaunch.

my ultimate guess would be the first assumption to be true.

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Hvac0120

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There are many more issues than listed here (didn't click through to Niantic website).

It took 2 days to register a Pokemon club account due to server issues and that was just the start.

GPS issues are horrible especially on devices that rely on IP-based locations.

On 1 Android device the account is logged out every time the app is put into the background or closed.

Frequently the Sign In button for club Pokemon jumps right back to the sign in selection screen (Google or club sign in).

Because of GPS/Location issues we've had trouble activating Pokestops and capturing Pokemon.

Audio goes in and out.

App randomly crashes.

I'm sure I'll think of more as the day goes on. My kids have gotten really upset because they can't enjoy this app due to these problems.

That's the interesting thing about this game, though. The concept is there. The IP that people love and enjoy is there. It's just all buggy and broken.

I hope they can address these issues quickly. I don't know how many people will continue to tolerate this misbehavior.

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SamEarl13

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Edited By SamEarl13

Amusingly people in the UK that downloaded this aren't getting server errors at all. Currently challenging myself to how many Pokemon I can catch without going anywhere (currently 1 Pidgey and 3 Spearow's).

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Smark

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Could Niantic have done a worse job at launching their product? I honestly don't believe so. Between extreme downtime, massive battery drain, and the game crashing when you attempt to catch a pokemon, this launch is lacking. Not to mention the the jittery GPS connection to the server when the game is actually available. This launch has been unacceptably terrible. However, with a game concept that is this fun, people (myself included) are willing to forgive and look past the state of launch. I hope the developer is able to sort out their server issues quickly; I know many of us are eagerly awaiting our Pokemon journey.

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joey07311984

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@smark: I haven't had any of these issues...but also a lot of people have shitty phones so there's that...not saying it's the case for everyone, but if you look at Google Play apps and reviews, there's always someone bitching, then you look and they are on a galaxy S3 or some crap like that. lol

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ashe_27

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@joey07311984: I have all of these issues on an LG G5.

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TheWatcher000

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@joey07311984: Yes, because you need to have a really expensive phone to be a real human being, worthy of a decent experience in life. Thanks for clarifying that.

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joey07311984

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@TheWatcher000: Listen here negative Nancy, that's not what I meant. If you freakin have old hardware, don't expect the game to run perfectly and without a hitch. And yes, you pay for what you get. With that being said, even today's budget phones and mid-ranged phones have better hardware than an S3. So be my guest, keep misconstruing what I'm saying.

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TheWatcher000

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Edited By TheWatcher000

@joey07311984: I'll be sure to do that. And you keep on being an elitisit douchebag.

And if my comments cause you stress and irritation, I am absolutely thrilled.

Please keep crying. It's glorious. :)

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joey07311984

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@TheWatcher000: I'm not an elitist, you are confusing me alltogether, but go ahead, keep showing those insecurities. The only thing that causes me irritation is people with no common sense. I could care less what phone people have, but hey if the truth hurts you that's not my problem at all.

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TheWatcher000

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Edited By TheWatcher000

@joey07311984: LOL. It's been almost three weeks and you're STILL responding? Get over it and move on, princess.

I don't have you confused at all. You're a docuhebag piece of shit, and that's all there is too it. it has nothing to do with common sense, or whatever apelike frame you're trying to argue in.

You made a stupid, moronic, comment, you got called out on it, and now you're trying to backpedal. If you really didn't care or have that opinion, you never would have posted that pap in the first place.

And how me calling you out on your idiocy shows I have insecurities, is another breathtaking bridge to nowhere that you've built. I know I'm better than you. :)

The fact you still feel the need to respond after this length of time shows nothing of my perceived "insecurities", and everything about your thin skin and inability to cope with being outed for being trash.

Keep crying, though. MAYBE if you're lucky I'll take pity on you and give you more attention.

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